This Is Family, This Is Truth
by Hope is an inspiration
Summary: Emma tells stories about her past. Cute and sad family moments shared between Snow White, Prince Charming, Emma, and Henry. Probably won't follow any story line in particular :)
1. Chapter 1

**1. The Awkward Silence**

"So, Emma…?" Prince charming said to his daughter, as they sat in the police cruiser on patrol for the day. Since she had returned from the fairytale world she had taken back her job as sheriff and he had became the deputy for Storybrooke, protecting all of the fairy tale citizens from any danger. But the shifts had become awkward, as it was hard for them to discuss things. This was because they could not become simply friends, nor could they just have an instant father-daughter relationship. Staring at his daughter, the prince wondered where the years had gone to, and he felt a moment of sadness for not having the chance to raise her. He wished he could have that time back, but since he realized that he could not, he decided on the next best thing, asking her about her childhood.

Emma sighed, knowing that he was probably going to as her about something she didn't really like talking about. She wanted her past to remain her past, especially from her family. She didn't want them to think of her as the girl who had made that many mistakes. She wanted them to think of her as herself, as in present tense. However, she wanted to be closer to her father, and not be stuck in the same awkard hesitant silence that seemed to surround the two of them and their coffees. Therefore, she nodded, "Yeah?" She asked, looking out the window.

"We never really had much time, well any really, to talk before you and Snow got sent back to our world…."He wasn't sure how to ask the question, because the silence seemed to be engulfing him even though he tried to fight it. It was as if it was taking a claim on him and his voice.

"So you want to know about my childhood, huh?" Emma finished his thought, knowing that in their delicate family balance since their return, this question was going to eventually be asked.

"I do." He answered, "But only anything you want to tell me." He didn't want to pressure her, and he wasn't even sure he'd want to hear all of it after having Snow tell him about her being in the foster care system for most of her life and hearing that it was a horrible experience for her. He wished he had gotten the chance to see her grow up, but unfortunately he was not given that chance. Instead he had done what he could for her, and sent her away for more than a quarter of her life, time they would never get back.

"I'm not sure how much there is to tell, really." Emma started, staring down at her lap for a moment before looking up at him. "I went through so many homes for my first sixteen years they all seem like a blur. I got out of the system, finally, did some stupid things, ended up in prison. When I got out, I had Henry, and I wanted the best for him, so I put him up for adoption, and then I became a bounty hunter. And then, on my twenty eighth birthday, Henry came and found me." She smiled at that, that was her favorite, yet one of her most shocking memories.

He nodded at her, he'd heard all of those things before, but he wanted to know more. Not the broad things, but the small details, her favorite toys, books, games as a kid. So he asked her about them.

Emma smiled as she answered, "I loved the game of life. I only played it a few times, but I loved it because you never seemed to have a really bad outcome. Your life could take so many directions but no direction ended badly." He smiled at her answer, having faint memories of playing that as David, and even though he knew those memories weren't really real, he knew what she meant about the game, and how fun it was. "My favorite book was, oddly enough, Romeo and Juliet. "He was positive that everyone knew that book, he was certain of it, and he wasn't sure that he wouldn't do the same if Snow lied dead in front of him. He wasn't sure if he would want to live if she was dead. He was curious to why Emma like it so much, though. "I had this doll, her name was Lilly, I carried her around until I was around eleven, when my foster dad threw her into a fire. " The thought of Lilly saddened Emma, but at the same time, the memories she had of that doll put a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry." Prince charming said, putting a hand on her shoulder, and finally breaking the awkward silence of the moment.


	2. Who is Henry's Father?

**_A/N: Oh the charming family, how I love them so. Everytime they have a family moment I squel. Not sure how often I will update, I have a story I'm writing on fiction press at the same time. Here's a link if you wishe to check it out: s/3098133/1/Tibi-Spes-Sit-May-Hope-Be-For-You Remember, reviews are love people, so please leave some. Lot's of love to my reviews and follows so far! You all are TOO LOVELY :") _**

**Who Is Henry's Father? **

Snow loved her daughter very much, but her biggest regret, was those twenty eight years that had passed. She could only imagine the pain and suffering her daughter had went through, she knew that there was so much of it though, because she saw the pain Emma hid behind her mask. And although she knew it would cause herself a lot of pain to hear the things Emma kept so hidden, she still wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about her daughter, so that she could be there for Emma, in more than just the present. She couldn't go back and change Emma's past, but she could maybe ease the burden of it a bit.

There was some things she wandered about more than others, Henry's father for instance. She knew that Henry's father was not a firefighter, and not a good man, according to Emma. But she wanted to hear about him, and maybe help take away some of the anger and resentment Emma clearly held towards him. So one night, when Henry and Prince Charming were out sword fighting, and Snow was making dinner with Emma, she asked the question she was dying to know, "Emma, I want to ask you a question, but I want you to promise me you'll tell me the truth before I ask it."

"Why?" Emma asked, confused and concerned at why Snow wanted her to promise first. She was wondering what Snow wanted to ask, and if it was something she really wanted to answer. She was guessing it wasn't, but decided as she finished chopping up a pepper for the salsa they were making, that she would promise anyways, "Fine, what is it?"

"What was Henry's father like, and I mean the whole story? The real one." Snow said, holding the bowl out for Emma to put the peppers into. She watched as Emma froze momentarily, and then went back to work. She could see stress in her daughters face, and she knew this was a question she didn't want to answer, but Snow really felt like she needed to know the answer.

"I was eighteen." Emma started, after a minute. She was looking at Snow now, with honesty and trust, and a kind of vulnerability Snow had only seen once or twice in her daughter's eyes. "And I stole a car…the yellow beetle actually. And as I was driving it, there he was."

Snow tried to imagine her daughter stealing a car, and although it made her a bit uneasy, she could still imagine it, and she knew that it was more than possible. " He was sleeping in the back seat when I stole it…and so we went off, on the road together. We did a lot of things, things I'm not proud of, but we did it to survive."

"And then…." Emma trailed off, she knew she should tell Snow the last part, but she didn't know if she could. She didn't want to talk about his betrayal. "And then he left me, he got me caught by the cops."

Snow could see the pain of Betrayall and lost love in Emma's face. She had felt it a few times before. But she also knew that if Emma and Henry's father were meant to be then they would find a way back to each other, and a way to forgive. It didn't matter how much time passed, she knew that to be true. And with that, she took her daughter in her arms, trying to comfort her and show her that she understood.


End file.
